Police seize thousands of fake Ferrero Rocher chocolates

A fake Ferrero Rocher chocolate scam that threatened the integrity of ambassador's Christmas parties around the world has been uncovered by French police.

12:55AM GMT 24 Dec 2008

Ten tons of counterfeit chocolates - worth £208,000 - were seized at France's most famous wholesale market outside Paris before they could make it onto the diplomatic festive season party circuit.

The haul of 33,000 boxes is believed to be the biggest seizure of a counterfeit, everyday food product in France.

The spherical, gold-wrapped chocolates gained cult status after a kitsch television advert in which they were served at an ambassador's reception.

In the advert, an elderly butler produces a pyramid of Ferrero Rocher balls on a silver platter to gasps of "execellente" from the gathered dignitaries. One female partygoer, obviously impressed, declares: "Monsieur, with these Rocher, you're really spoiling us."

The advert inspired several comedy sketches and follow ups, and "really spoiling us" briefly became a popular catchphrase.

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The seizure was made at the end of November, but details of the operation were released yesterday.

The fakes arrived in France in a refrigerated truck from Turkey. The load contained various lines of fake Ferrero chocolates. Each was wrapped to look like an authentic Ferrero but the individual wrappers did not bear the sticker with the company's logo.

The fakes were not found to be dangerous, but they were poor quality and will be destroyed.

Ferrero, which has promoted its Rocher line of round, hazelnut chocolates as high class and "a sign of good taste", is said to be suing the importer.